Gear



Oct. 21, 1930. G. .A DALTON ET AL 1,778,797

GEAR

Filed March 14., 1927 4 sheets-sheet 1 Oct. 21, 1930. G. A. DALTON ET AL 1,778,797

' GEAR Filed March 14, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 oct. 21, 1930. DALTON ET AL 1,778,797

GEAR

Filed March 14j 1927 4 Sheets-She-et 4 yeorye l GEORGE A. nALToN AND VJOHN R. DNHAM, 0E HIGHLAND PARK, NEW 'JERsEY,v

Patented ct. 2l,

vPAT131W j Aas sIGN'oRs To ,FLEXIBLE ENGINEERING CORPORATION, 0E NEW YORK, *Y."A

oo'RPQRATI'QN on NEW YORK *Applicativi fne'a March' 14, 1927.7seria1No- 175,239.

i I The vprincipalobjectief thisinventiony is toprovide a gear having novelm'eansl for, affording flexibility between driving and. driven members operatively connected by-said gear. V yThe invention lfurther-resides in certain novel structural details yand useful fea-A .tures'hereinafter fully described and illus,

i trated in the attached drawings, inwhich:

,Figure 1: is aside view. of'a gear outergear illustrating another embodiment of the gear;

Fig. 8 is a section onthe line 8 8, Fig. v7 .1 Fig. 9 isa view in perspective of the inner i gearv orhub element of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. Tand 8 Fig. 10 is a view in perspective of the outer .element of the gear shown in Figs. 7 and 8;

' Fig. 11 is a view in perspective ofl one-of the side platesof the gear embodimentv illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10; Y f v Fig. 12 is a ViewY in'v perspective of one of the keeper elements used with the gears shown in Figs. to 11, and f, 'f

F ig. 13 is al view in perspective of one of the elements which with others make upthe individual flexible members which'connect the inner and outer Figs.9and10. Y y;

.Vxfith referencetothe drawings,gthe gear in a preferred form comprises an'inner or hub element 1, which ,may be vprovided `with the usual keyway 2` through which the element may be attached to a rotary shaft; and-an gear elements shown in outer annular element in which the gear teeth are formed, as shown in Fig. 1 They general form of'these elements land 3 is best shown in Figs. Sand l respectivelyl,

The element 1 has adjacent one face an annular extension 4 in which is formed aV continuousor annularseries of cylindrical j openings 5, the axes of these openings paral leling-` the axis of theelement in which they' riphery, and this flange is also provided with a series of cylindrical apertures 7 ,corresponde y ing 1n number and relative vposition with the apertures 5 of ythefmeinber 1. ,The member lris'adapted tofitmoreorless snugly into the r interior of the member ,3, as shown inFigi- 2,'thev outer surface of the flange 4; and 'the inner surface of the flange 6in eachinstance `nding an Vopposed bearing surface on"y the other member. l It will be noted that while are formed. The member 3 has a correspondving flange 6, which, adjacent oneface of the 55 "ring, projects inwardly lfrom the inner, peeV thel parts 1 and 3 have free relative'angularY to prevent angular v msalignment of `the elements. f

, l The elements 1*,and'i3 areadaptedqtobe.se- Y i c 'uredftogether by means of flexible elements,

a' preferred form of which is illustratedin Fig; 5, This elementconsistsbf a .bundle 8 of flexible wires,'the bundle preferably being cylindrical inform land having its enjdsjse-V cured bywelding .or othersuitable means Yin keepers 9 andlO respectively. These keepers are cylindrical in for'm' and 'o f such diameter ias to neatly fit within the openings 1,5. and7 of the elements 1 and 3. In the present instance', each ofthe keepers is provided nearits outer end with an annular peripheral groove 11 i constituting means forv retaining fthe keepers they respectively occupy. As` illustrated, the velement the face-adjoining the ange ,with-an annuin the openings of the elements 1j and lwhich" .i

larrecess 12,'from the inner `eii'dofw'hich'a I 90 transverse recess 18 extends outwardly sulif ciently far to Venter the openings V5. 'Arjsubf stantially similarv device is employed in Ycon!` nection vwith the element 3, this element 'alsov being f provided with? an annular recess' 141, Y, 9,5 i Y lwhich extends from; the, inner fache vofthe flange V6 loutwardly rand yinto the openings 7.1

Vmovement, the opposed bearing surfaces' tend Y In assembly and asgshownin Fig.-2, the keep'` ers 9 and'10 may respectivelyoccu y the open-y 1 ings -5 and 7 of the,elements,.and. exible split rings 15 and 16 inserted into-the recesses l13 Vferne4 of flexible element.

the saine kcylindrical bundle of lexiblevviresw or springs 17 may be.us ed,the ends. being irrand llenter by expansion the grooves 1l of y the keepers and eiectively retain the keepers in the openings.

A'gear constructedl as described obviously possesses flexiblity in an angular direction tendingto absorb sudden shocks impressed in the'direction'of rotation on either of the elements 1 orV 3. It Will be noted further thatl the fl exible elements vsecure the elerrientsgl and 3together-'nanaxialdirection;

In'fFig. 6, ive have illustrated Aa serted in correspondingly shaped openings lin cylindrical keepers'lS and secured therein by Welding o'r in any suitable inanner. The

'outer fend of thelop'en'ingsin which the ends 4 of the flexible bundle 17Jare inserted is in each instance taperedler'conical in forni and s-threadedtfor reception4 of a conical plug f V19. Also the outer end of each of the keeplers 1 8 issplit in'an axial direct-Rimas indicated at 20, so`that-vvhenthe plugs 19 are turned dovvn-into-lthe keepers they have a tendenc'yto' spreadthefouter ends of the latter.` Y

'The keeperslS are adapted to occupy the openings and'in the-elements 1 and 3,'a`s previouslyvdescribed in connection vWith the Vflexible" element shovvnin Fi-grr, and the keeperszinaynbe secuied'or anchored in the openings after'insertion by turning doWnfthe plugs19 as' described to spreadthe outer-ends of thekeepers againstthe Walls of the said opei'iing's.,4 *This type of keeper permits eliinination of the retaining rings previously v described-p m '5 In'Figs'." 7 to 13, inclusive, We have-illus; trated a'nodified forni ofe'gear in Which'the iiexibleelenients connecting the inner and outer gear 'elements are arranged radially so thatthe thrust between the inner and outer gear'eleinents is in adirection correspondingl accurately Withthe plane of rotation. In this instance, Vthe inner gearor hub element 21 is provided inl its periphery vvith al'series of evenly spacedslots 22 Which'extend radially finto transverse cylindrical openings 23.1The outer gearor ring element 24 is provided in its inner periphery With a corre- `spo'nding'fseriesfof Vradial slots 25. `semblt/,,cylindrical keepers 26 occupy the In asopenings`23 in the element 21, these keepers being slotted for reception ofthe inner `endg of= substantially rectangular flexible connectorelementsl 27g Which project outwardly through .the vslots 22 and into the `slots 25 Y Y of theouter element, asfshovvn in Fig. 7 The iexibleeleinentsy27 may be composed Vof a Anumber of flat flexible steel plates 28 laid facetofface. sho'vvnin Fig. 13, each" of Vthese platesisprovided near itsouter end Y with aJpair-ofrrecesse's 29, 29, extending in@ war-'dlyfroni the side'edg'es.

, l, [projects into anannulargnve', see F ig'.` inodiliedv In this instancey `the sanneV asl that ofA thai-embodiment previ` `nular toothed element, transverse cylindri- Vopenings While permitting rotation thereof.

ings, theouter face ofieach flange Vhavinga This gear coinprises aV pair of side plates V30, one of which is shown in "perspective in Fig. 11, and these plates are held in place againstl the facesof the gear by means of bolts 31 which pass through openings V3,2 in the said' plates and throughv correspondingly arranged openings 38 infthe outer ring 24.

Each of the plates 30 has projecting from its innerface an annular flange `or.'ribavvhicli 10,111 the side of' thefouter gear 'element 24,

.this groove 35' intersecting the outer `edges of the recesses 25. In assembly, the grooves 35 Vregister Withtherecesses 29of the flexible cal openings in :said flanges Vcorresponding in number fand positioned Vandi-adapted for .axial alignment, flexible connector elements having cylindrical keepers at1 opposite ends thereof adapted respectively to occupy the openings of saidflanges, and a single means associated With each flange for retaining all I Vof the keepers engaged in openings ,.ofsaicl,`

flange against axial? displacement iii-[said 2. A gear comprisinga hubelenientand an annular toothed element surrounding said hub element,'confronting faces vof said VhubA and toothed elements having a'single flange,

said flanges disposed insideto side relation, 1m

said flanges having aligned cylindrical openings,flexible connector elements ydisposed in said openings andincluding externallyeylinr4 -k drical portions rotatably `litting the opengroove disposedinvvardly Yofv the openings, the inner end' of said groove being enlarged to communicate With openings, theuextery nally cylindrical Vportions eachhavingfan annular groove V in alignment with the "eniafi-l 3 largement of the groove, and expaiisible rings disposed in the enlargementsv `of the flange-grooves and engaging in:thegrcvmv'es` .y l

elements.A j 1- V- Y Y AGEORGE-A. DALTONH JOHN R. lfllllI-lAM.i`

ofthe connector 

